Designing Your Office Space: Where To Start

If you’ve decided to spearhead the design of your office space, without outside professional help, this is easy enough, with an expansive and creative mind. For starters, create a scrapbook of some of your favourite office designs, so you have something to inspire you, and sketch out your own office plan. When drawing how you’d like everything to look, bear the following things in mind, to ensure that your office space is a lovely place to be…

Rooms with views

Without natural light, your employees will feel as though they are being kept in a box. Where possible, make the most of the best views around your office, and install large windows, to make employees feel more refreshed and engaged with the outside world.

High tech Setups

Show that you’re on the top of your game by providing the best technology to your employees. Not only will this increase productivity and expand what you can do, but it will also make your office look ahead of the times.

Desktop workstations from Dell are fantastic and reliable, if you don’t want to go down the Apple route, but what you choose will largely revolve around what kind of business you are; just don’t pinch too many pennies, when it comes to technology.

Colour

Colour has a powerful impact on the feel of your office. For example, yellow is associated with happiness, blue with calmness, and red with energy! Going for blank walls can be unobtrusive, yes, but don’t forget the powerful impact that colours can have on the brain. However, using colour can easily backfire, so use it sparingly and tactically.

Breakout, communal spaces are a lovely place for employees to meet during their breaks and interact with each other. If you keep these areas quite expansive, it also creates a nice feeling of freedom and space. It also gives employees a chance to move around a bit. Breakout areas are also wonderful places for informal meetings or spaces to share ideas, away from the desk rooms.

Tidiness

You can help create a clutter-free office by providing storage solutions throughout your workplace. Always include more storage options than you think you’ll need, as it will get filled; that’s a promise. You’ll be glad that you thought to install extra storage solutions.

Great furniture

Great furniture should be ergonomically-friendly and comfortable for your employees too. It’s worth investing in furniture that’s going to stop your workers from sustaining injuries at their desks. The furniture is more likely to last as well, if it’s of high quality.

Branding

Some tasteful branding throughout the office is a great way to really put your company’s stamp around the workplace. It also makes the building seem more professional. Clients and customers should understand exactly where they are, when they enter the building – there should be no doubt as to which company the office belongs to.

Who do you think does office design really well? Give the company a shout-out in the comments below.

Founding Editor @Alltopstartups, Columnist @Inc. Magazine and Curator at Postanly (his free weekly digest of the best life and career improvement posts on the web). Subscribe for free. Check out his books on Amazon.